Maybe everyone is right. Maybe we aren’t ready for this yet. I have zero understanding about the underworld and travels through it. This must be what my parents want us to study today. I try to retrace our steps from last night. Did we follow the same path in? We must have. I don’t recall seeing a spilt in the path. I pick up my sketch book, a pencil and begin to draw what I remember from our travels. We can add it to the book of shadows later today. I’m not a good artist; maybe I should describe it to Sophia and have her do a sketch. Sophia is an amazing artist; no Sophia is amazing at everything. I just wish she would realize it.
The smell of vanilla and waffles comes wafting in from the kitchen. Closing the large leather hand bound book of shadows and placing it under my arm, I follow the divine scent. I’ll help set the table for breakfast and show Grams what I found this morning in the book of shadows. Grams may have something to add to Mom and Dad’s entry. Heavy footsteps thump down the staircase as Eliza joins us in the kitchen. Her bright pink and very fuzzy house coat is wrapped tightly around her tall, thin frame as she plops down in a chair. Eliza’s thick black hair springing out in every direction, she tries to pat down her nappy locks.
Still half asleep, Eliza asks, “Is that waffles I smell?”
“Yes it is. Waffles have always been the easiest way to get you out of bed,” Grams admits with a chuckle.
“You spoil me Grams.” Eliza smiles.
“Well that is what Grandma’s are for my dear.”
I pour each of us a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice into three large tumblers, as Gram’s places the plate of homemade waffles on the table next to the fresh cream and berries and takes a seat.
***
“So when I woke up today, I decided to start on my studies while Eliza slept.”
Grams pats my knee. “That is great Ebony, but do not get ahead of yourself.”
“Don’t worry Grams, I got the message loud and clear.”
“What do you mean? Did Mom and Dad come back when I was sleeping?” Eliza asks with excitement.
“I think they were here when we were all sleeping. I found a message in our book of shadows,” I explain.
“What does it say?” Eliza inquires.
“It explains about alternate realm travel,” I go in to detail and show them the entry. “I think we have a lot to learn still. Don’t you?”
“It appears that way. I never knew it could be so dangerous. I knew about taking the same path in and out, but never the ramifications of not doing so,” Eliza admits.
“Well girls once you’re finished eating, why don’t you go study and I will clean up breakfast today.”
“Thanks Grams, you’re the best,” we both say.
***
After we finish eating, we head back to the office and begin to peruse our notes when we hear a bang, and move slowly towards the noise. I peer around the office to see if anything is different and notice a book on the floor. It is open to a page about underworlds. Mom and Dad must be behind this. Grams comes running, as fast as a woman her age can run that is, to check on the noise as well.
“Everything is okay Grams; it was just a book from the shelf,” I explain.
She nods and turns back to the kitchen. Eliza and I sit on the area rug of the floor next to the book and begin to take more notes.
***
About one o’clock the doorbell rings, “Ebony, Matt is here,” Grams calls out.
“Can you send him in here please?”
As I get up off the floor to greet Matt I notice him with an armful of books and journals. “Hi there handsome. Whatcha got?”
“These are just some of my study journals and texts for my guardian training. I thought they may help you.”
“Thanks, we need all the help we can get.” I take the books and journals placing them on the floor where we are studying. Then wrap my arms around him.
“I got permission from the great ones to help you and share our information with you. They agreed based on the fact that your work is for the greater good.
“Please thank them for us. The support of the great ones is appreciated. I only wish we knew our guardian,” Eliza declares.
“You will when the time is right. I am sure he or she is watching out for you and you don’t even realize it yet.”
***
Now is a great time for a break. We have been cramped up on the floor for hours. So the three of us decide it is time to go meet Sophia, Nathanial and Luke at the pool hall. We have a great group of friends. Nathanial, Sophia’s boyfriend and the best quarterback this town has ever seen and his older brother Luke who attends Harvard on a basketball scholarship and now is Eliza’s boyfriend. They come from the most upstanding family, Nathanial knows about us being witches and our powers, he also knows about the Pierce family being vampires and has never judge any of us. Even with how accepting Nathanial has been, we have not shared our secret with Luke. I can see how it has been weighing on Eliza and am grateful every day that I decided to have full disclosure with Matt. Which in turn got him to open up to me about being a guardian and since he’s taught us so much about our own heritage.
“I can’t wait to see Luke. It has only been a few days but I miss him so much,” Eliza gushes.
“I am so glad you and Luke found one another. You really are perfect together.” I give her a little nudge.
“I know it too. Let’s go get our things and check on Grams before we leave.”
Walking down the hall to the kitchen, we can see Grams sitting in one of the dining room chairs. She’s stiff and something just doesn’t seem right. Grams looks frozen, she doesn’t move, but her eyes slightly shift. My heart sinks with fear that she is ill, maybe a stroke, or…oh god another demon attack, I realize by the sulfur smell as I get closer to the kitchen. I don’t think demons realize the stench they have.
“Someone or something is here. Matt I think you should leave and fast,” I whisper with the softest voice.
Matt nods and quietly exits the manor. Eliza reaches to the apothecary cabinet for some potions we made earlier this week, notifying me that she has had the same realization as I have. I can see a figure in the mirror of the china cabinet, with a slight tilt of my head I direct Eliza to enter from the other side. She hands me a trapping potion and we prepare to enter the kitchen area.
Slowly proceeding, I can hear Alexander in my head. Ebony, we are outside. Matt called us, Sophia, Matilda and I got here as fast as we could. I’ll stay connected and we are ready to help at the first sign of trouble.
Alexander is Sophia’s twin brother; he was Embraced or turned trying to save her. He has the ability to connect to others thoughts, telepathically, but much more advanced than just that. He can control whose thoughts he joins and who he shares with. This power comes in very handy at times like this, when we are in trouble, like now.
Thanks Alexander, it has Grams so we have to be careful not to startle it.
Chapter Three
The Light
As I enter the kitchen, pretending as if nothing is out of place. “Hey Grams, Eliza and I are going to meet up with the gang. She is just upstairs getting ready,” I pretend.
Grams doesn’t move, just as I suspected. Leaning over her, still trying to fool whatever has trapped her.
“Grams are you alright? Should I call an ambulance?” I give her arm a little shake. That’s the sign for Eliza to enter.
She enters in silence; I stand and turn to face the demon in front of me. He doesn’t notice Eliza come in, and just as fast as she pulled us out of the astral realm last night, she throws a power diminishing potion. I follow it with the trapping potion, throwing underhand with near perfect precision.
With immense reflexes, he quickly throws a fire ball at us but it bounces off the trap only to rebound back at him. Eliza only just missed hitting him with the power diminishing spell. He is able to use his powers still. This changes things we won’t have much time before he can break through the trap and fully attack us. I
scream in my head for Alexander to get Matt to bring me the book of shadows. Knowing that he and Sophia can’t touch it, due to the magick it holds and how it is protected. I hope that because Matt is a guardian in training, the book will allow him access. The demon continues to pitch fire balls at us. I work hard to deflect them with my telekinetic powers, before they hit the trap weakening it.
Within minutes Matt comes running with the book.
“Stop!” I scream, “Don’t come in here, just throw it to me.” I don’t want the demon to get a look at Matt or get him in his sight. I don’t know what other powers he has and if he can harm Matt with his mind or eyes.
“Be careful,” he replies as he tosses the book of shadows to me.
Eliza grabs it and searches for an appropriate banishing spell, as I continue to deflect the fire balls back towards the demon. As soon as we banish him, the effects on Grams should reverse. I hope.
“I got it!” Eliza holds the book open so we can recite the chant.
We hold hands and chant,
“He who is evil,
Here to cause harm,
Return to your realm,
And forever be gone.
By the power in we,
So mote it be,
So mote it be,
So mote it be.
Moving as fast as we can, we cover Grams to protect her as the demon bursts in to flames, and implodes. I close my eyes, feeling the heat rush over us. The moment the heat retracts I look around the room to ensure everyone is alright. The flames and smoke get sucked into the ground like a whirlpool and then everything appears to return to normal again.
“He’s gone! Is everyone okay?” I look for Matt, and peek from the other room and nod.
Eliza answers with a slight shake in her voice, “Yeah, we’re ok.”
I notice Alexander and Sophia near the front door. They both check the scene to ensure we are all here. Matt and our vampire friends must have decided to stay a little closer than we expected.
“Grams, Grams, are you okay?” I give her a little shake her head flops forwards and her eyes remain fixed on the spot where the demon was. The air trapped in my lungs begins to burn as I can’t take in any more air. With panic setting in, my heart pounds harder with every passing second and I have to fight the urge to vomit.
“Sophia, help! She is not waking up. What happened? When we banished him, the trance should have been broken. Please help her,” I beg as the tears stream down my face.
Sophia has the amazing power to heal others that are near death or hurt. Although she can’t heal the dead, once the life force has left all bets are off.
I gently lay Grams on the floor as Sophia rushes over to heal her. With Grams head in my lap and Eliza hanging on to her hand, Sophia kneels next to us. Her hands calmly run over Grams body and stops over her heart. Sophia lowers her head in concentration. I can feel the healing energy radiating from her. I pray to the almighty deity to save Grams.
Sophia lifts her head, “Ebony, I am so sorry. There is nothing I can do for her; her life force is gone. It was a heart attack.”
I lean in to Grams, “NO! You can’t leave us Grams. We are not ready yet.” Grams has cared for us since Mom and Dad passed away. She is all Eliza and I have in this world.
Eliza sits back in shock, and I lean over towards her. Wrapping my arms around her we both sob. Matt runs over and holds both of us. Bring us calm and peace, his uncanny gift to give peace and bring calm is proving very helpful at the moment. Through tear hazed eyes I see a soft white light appear over Grams. Watching as her spirit enters the light, she turns and smiles. This is it. Eliza and I are alone to face the world and all the evils in world with no guidance.
Alexander moves quietly into the other room, with the phone in hand. Three beeps echo through the house as he dials 911 reporting Grams death. I continue to go over the events in my head, concerned that we may have done something wrong. Could we have caused this, could we have caused Grams to die? Isn’t long before the ambulance arrives and the medics officially call the time of death. We watch as they load Grams into the ambulance.
With a very empathetic tone, one of the medics explains. “We’ll be taking the body to Wenham General. Dr. Pierce, is there waiting for our arrival. She will examine your grandmother and be available to answer any questions you may have. Do you have a ride to the hospital?”
“Yes, I will bring them,” Matt speaks up.
Sophia’s Aunt Constance and Uncle Isaac are both doctors at the hospital. It comes in handy having them work in the emergency department when a supernatural issue arises. Isaac’s isn’t just a doctor, but also a hematologist; it makes it easy for him to acquire blood for the Pierce family. He’s also working on creating a synthetic blood for them to use for feeding and even for the medical community to use.
***
As we follow the ambulance to the hospital I continue to go over things in my head. I can’t believe that Grams is gone or that Eliza and I are going to help save the world, without her? Alexander drives us to the hospital, so Matt can stay close to Eliza, and I in the back seat. Matt’s ability to calm us makes it possible to think clearly. Sophia has already called her family, and they will meet us at the hospital. This is all so surreal. First our parent’s spirits came to us, and then we banish a demon in the kitchen, only to lose Grams in the end. This is way too much for anyone to handle.
Pulling up to the hospital, Luke is already outside waiting to help support Eliza. Matt helps me inside and Constance or should I say Dr. Pierce is also there waiting for us.
She wraps her arms around us and loving embrace, “Girls I am so sorry. You know our family will always be here for you, and we will help you get through this. I’ll take you guys to the family room Florence, Elijah and the rest of my family is already in there waiting for you. I still need to do an examination on your grandmother, and then I’ll be back in to talk with you.”
In the family room, we have all of those who mean the most to us here. The entire Pierce family, Nathanial and Luke McCord, and of course, Matt are all here to help us through this surreal loss. I realize that these people standing before me are the only family Eliza and I have and I am so grateful to have them all in our lives. We all sit in silence remembering Grams waiting for Constance to return. The door slowly creaks open Constance enters everyone is incredibly somber, looking to her for answers.
“Eliza, Ebony, I completed the exam on Ms. Edwina and in my medical opinion I believe Sophia was right. Your grandmother died a myocardio infarction also known as an MI or heart attack. There is nothing you could have done; her age alone increased her risk. A postmortem blood workup proves that she also had high blood pressure and cholesterol issues. She was a wonderful woman and lived a wonderful life. You girls meant everything to her, and she has always been extremely proud of you. Knowing your grandmother, no matter what happened she would not have left you if she didn’t think you are ready.”
Tears stream down every face in the room and each and every one of us nods in agreement.
“I need to know, if you girls would like me to do an autopsy. This can give us absolute proof of what your grandmother died from,” Constance informs us.
Isaac stands up next Constance, “Do you girls know much about autopsies, would you like one of us to explain them to you?”
Eliza looks up and says, “No, I think we both have a basic understanding of what it entitles. I would like to know if anyone in this room thinks that we need to do an autopsy.”
“I don’t want to Eliza. I can’t stand the thought of them cutting Grams up. We can’t disrespect her that way.”
“Ebony it is done in a very respectful manner. If that is what you are worried about. I ensure you. You do not need to concern yourself. I would even be willing to assist if it makes you feel better,” Isaac comforts.
“I don’t think it’s necessary, I trust Constance and her medical opinion. The fact that Sophia was so close when it happened and attempted
healing her is enough for me. I say without even thinking of Luke not knowing our secret. Eliza gives me a slight glare and I try to cover my tracks. I mean Sophia did her best with CPR, you’ve trained her well. Doing an autopsy on Grams won’t change anything.”
“She is still gone and there is nothing that you can find out that will change that,” Eliza rationalizes.
Chapter Four
Next Step
We go back to the manor to collect a few necessary items. Florence has invited us to stay with them for as long as we need. Eliza and I agree, that is exactly what we need right now neither of us wants go back home. Even just going back to pack some bags proves to be difficult. Getting out of the car and up the front step feels like the longest walk I have ever taken. Both Eliza and I stop at the front door, frozen like statues. Sophia, Alexander and Matt are with us, the rest went to the Pierce house to set up for our arrival. It was difficult to talk Luke into going without Eliza, but we aren’t ready for him to stumble on any remnants from the demon.
“Would you like to go back to the car? I can pack your bags for you, at least for tonight and tomorrow,” Sophia offers.
“Thanks Sophia, but we are going to have to go in sooner or later. I think it is best if we just get this over with, the first time is going to be bad no matter when we do it,” I respond.
Once inside, neither of us look towards the kitchen as our eyes fill with tears. We both go to our rooms and pack our bags in less than five minutes. Hurrying back down the stairs with a need to get out of this house as fast as possible, I trip, rolling down at least ten stairs before landing at the bottom. A loud snapping sound echo’s through the corridor, I scream in pain.
“My God, Ebony are you okay?” Matt runs to my aid.